Traditional directory assistance has evolved into enhanced information services, wherein a user can request everything from directory numbers and addresses to movie listings and driving directions. The user will initiate a call to the information services system, make a request, and the requested information is audibly delivered to the user via a telephone terminal. There has always been a challenge associated with remembering or otherwise keeping track of directory assistance information. The additional information available from enhanced information services only exacerbates the problem. Users either try to remember the information or make written notes of the information. In general, the users only remember the information temporarily, and notes are often lost or discarded, especially when the requests for information are made from mobile terminals when the user is on the move.
In an attempt to reduce the relatively temporary nature of the requested information, certain cellular technology allows the information services providers to send basic text messages including the requested information to the user's telephony terminal in addition to the traditional voice delivery. The most prevalent technique for delivering such messages incorporates the requested information in a short messaging service (SMS) message, which is delivered to the mobile terminal using SMS. The ability to receive the requested information in electronic form has proven beneficial. Unfortunately, like the name of the short messaging service implies, the service provides limited capacity for delivering the requested information. For example, most SMS messages are limited to 120 text characters. The limited SMS messages are sufficient to transmit directory numbers and basic addresses for a requested listing, but cannot effectively deliver the amount of information available in response to requests for enhanced information services information, such as movie listings and driving directions. In addition, the information transmitted in the SMS messages is limited to text, and is incapable of carrying information in other formats, such as audio, video, pictures, or graphics. Further, the SMS interface provides limitations on how the received information can be used and stored in applications running on the mobile terminal.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more efficient and effective way to provide information to a telephony terminal in response to an information services request. There is a further need to be able to provide the information in a variety of formats other than text, as well as allow other applications running on the telephony terminal to store or make ready use of the requested information.